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Disability Etiquette
This guide is a starting point, and does not necessarily encompass the whole
of disability etiquette. Please contact Student Disability Services at (415) 422-2613
if you 'd like additional guidance.
Some of the most difficult barriers people with disabilities face are the negative
attitudes based in miseducation of other people. Sometimes those attitudes are
just unconscious misconceptions that result in impolite or thoughtless acts
by otherwise well-meaning people.
General Suggestions
- Don't assume people with disabilities need your help. Ask before doing.
- Make eye contact, and speak directly to the person, not through a companion
or assistant
- Avoid actions and words that suggest the person should be treated differently.
It's okay to invite a person in a wheelchair to "go for a walk,"
or to ask a blind person if he "sees what you mean."
- Treat people with disabilities with the same respect and consideration
that you have for everyone else.
- Make basic information available in alternative formats (e,g., large print,
electronically).
- Offer a guided tour of all facilities so that people with disabilities
can familiarize themselves with the campus layout. The orientation also should
identify any potential obstacles and all emergency exits.
- Be careful not to use words that may be interpreted as patronizing. Avoid
statements like, "You do such a good job for someone with a disability,"
or "What's your problem?" for example.
- Watch your responses when a student chooses to disclose the nature of the
disability. Disclosure is a difficult step for many. Your support of this
process facilitates trust.
- Don't assume you understand the completeness of how disability impacts
the individual. Avoid statements like, "I know all about lupus. My next
door neighbor has it."
For Specific Disabilities
Hearing Impairments
- Face people with hearing impairments when you talk to them so they can
see your lips.
- Enunciate and slow your rate of speech, so that they can see your lips.
- Don't cover your mouth or talk with food in your mouth!
- Increase the level of your voice, if appropriate
- Communicate in writing, if necessary.
Mobility Impairments
- Try sifting or crouching down to the approximate height of people in wheelchairs
or scooters when you talk with them.
- Don't lean on a person's wheelchair unless you have his permission - it's
his or her personal space.
- Be aware of what is accessible and not accessible to people using wheelchairs,
crutches, canes, etc.
- Feel free to offer assistance, when asked.
Speech Impairments
- Listen patiently. Don't complete sentences for the person unless he looks
to you for help.
- Don't pretend you understand what a person with a speech impairment says
just to be polite.
- Ask the person to write down a word if you're not sure what he or she is
saying.
- Communicate all written or visual material orally. Speak your notes as
you write them for the group.
- Be descriptive. You may have to help orient people with visual impairments
and let them know what's coming up. If they are walking, tell them if they
have to step up or step down, let them know if the door is to their right
or left, and warn them of possible hazards.
- You don't have to speak loudly to people with visual impairments.
- If you are asked to guide people with a visual impairments, offer your
arm/elbow instead of grabbing theirs.
Health/Psychiatric Impairments
- Respect a person's privacy. A person's disability or impairment is confidential
and not to be talked about with strangers without her permission.
- Most health impairments are not visible. If a person asks for help, do
not assume that the request is not valid, or that the person is "lazy."
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